Automobile-body brace.



A. L. MARCUM.

Au'roMosrLE Bonv BRACE. APPLICAHUN FILED OCT- 3. 19|?.

1,266,528. Patented May14,1918.

if@ *n* i ff /J /O/f y 3 /7 f5 /y /0 2 j v IQ /4/ /B /JB A 6 /0 l 4v E4 /l/ J @MMM 213 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEX. R

ALBERT LEE MARCUM, F LOUISVILLEjKENTUCKV, ASSIGNOR T0 DOW WIRE & IRON WORKS, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION 0F KENTUCKY.

AUTOMOBILE-BODY BRACE.

Application tiled October 3, 1917.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I. ALBERT Lnn MAnCUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county ofJeiferson and State of Kentucky, ha\e inventedI certain new and useful Improvements in Aut0mobile-Body Braces; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

\ and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relatesv to automobiles, but more particularly7 to a body brace therefor, and the invention has for its object to provide a transverse bodv brace for the purpose of supporting and stii'ening the running boards of an automobile, and for the further purpose of simultaneously supporting and stiening the longitudinal chassis frame members upon which the body of the machine is mounted. Y

In the use of devices of this character I have found that while a transverse brace for sup orting the running boards is of great eliciencv. there remains a tendency for the chassis frame membersto spring laterallv and this springing of the chassis frame mem ers prevents an absolutely rigid construction unless properlyr provided against. I have also found that a transverse brace under and supporting the running boards of a machine has a decided tendencyr to spring or bow. and this springing or bowing up= wardlv causes the rods connecting with the chassis frame membersto become loose and to more longitudinali;v of the chassis frame members so as to cau a shifting of the position of the running oard brace.

In order to obviate these disadvantages and to provide an absolntelv rigid and permanent bodv brace I have provided in conneotion with a transverse running board support a transverse chassis frame support in the manner as will be hereinafter described. and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of tbe two transverse supports in connection with the connecting or tving brace rods, all of which will be first full;7 described and afterward Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Serial No. 194,616.

pecitically pointed out in the appended aims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the chassis frame members of an automobile illustrating also in section the running boards of an automobile, and illustrating in section the bod'v brace in operative position, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the transverse brace member and one of the connecting members or ,tie rods.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the two figures. in which- 1 indicates the longitudinal chassis frame members of an automobile which are usuallyr of channel iron, as shown in Fig. 1. while 2 indicates the transverse running boards of a machine. 3 indicates a transverse bra member having its vertical walls 4 and 5 p cvided with coinciding rectangular openings 6 and 7 arranged near the ends of the brace member 3 and of a size to re ceivc the lower portions of the chassis frame members 1 in the manner as is shown in Fig. 1. Directljv7 under the transverse chas sis frame members 1 I provide a transverse angle or channel brace member 8. 10 indicates the vertical connecting or tying rods which as shown in Fig. 1 are substantiallyT U-shaped. the longer vertical arm 11 passing through a hole or perforation 12 in the angle or channel brace 8, said longer arm 11 being threaded at 13 to receive a nut 14. The longer arm 11 of the U-shaped rod 10 passes also through a perforation or opening` 15 in the brace member 3. the U portion of the rod 10 passing` over the chassis frame 1. its shorter arm 16 passing downwardly7 through a perforation or opening 17 in the brace member 3, said arm 16 being` threaded at 18 to receive a nut 19.

Having thus fully described the several parts of this invention, its operation is as follows:

,The parts being assembled as shown in Fig. 1 the nut 19 on the shorter arm 16 is threaded snugly .against the bottom surface of the brace member 3. This causes the brace member 3 to be tightly and snugly drawn into position under the chassis members 1, and as the said chassis members 1 enter the openings or recesses 6 7 in the brace member 3, said chassis members 1 are eiectunli tied t'o ether in s.' permanent manner, Whig any an al1 transverse bowing or movement of the chassis members 1 is entirely'elinlinated. The brace .members -3 are tiglitly drawn into entgement with the clxasis' 1'.,

member l tosuc extent that enyiengitp nal Q movement yof.f .the connecting o 4rode 10 is vefi'etl'lelly eliminated. T el ne 14 being then three/ded up onl the longer arms 11 of the conneo or :tying rods 10 raise the transverse run g board members 8 up and smly under the running boards 2 so as toe ectually and vrigidly support the running boards and. tie tbesmne t0 the chassis fra-me ieces 1. By ,reason construction al tendency. of Vthe chassis frame members 1 to bow or :nove trnsrersely is entirely y eliminated, while any slight loosening or bowing of Vthe running board brace members 8 fill not causej a. longitudinal movement of the tie.. rods 10, an a consequent shifting of the btace. `f [t will therefore be seen that by this constriiction an absolutely ri id bracing arrangement is prorided whic 1 is extremely simple 1nv4 construction, cheapnnd eas to manufactuire and is stron?1 durable 'an eliicient.

Hat-'1n thus-'fu y described the invention,

what I c :limV as -new` and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is';

vof this tti' ethera'gainst'reletive lateral rncre-y n ;^.t 'elast'mentioned transverse member 4 being arrangedunderend inclose latenti e11- gement with the longitu dinal` chassis ame members of en automobile, a connect ing 01' tying rod of U-sha, ed formation han ing ite shorter end passe through the said longitudinal chassis frame bracing, member an :its longer endfpessed througl the said transverse running bord bracing member and including means for drawing the saidv two transverse bracing 'members snugly :nid tightlyy into rposition, the whole arranged in such manner that the said transverse brecng member for .the chassis frame' prevents casual shifting of the running board transverse bracin member, substantially as dev 55 scribed and ger the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, l aix my signin ture, in presence of a witness.

ALBERT LIE MJlRUU-M. Witness:

MXNETTE A. BERGMANN. 

